Gridiron Gang (2006)

Teenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the leadership of their counselor, gain self-esteem by playing football together.

Director:

Phil Joanou

Writers:

Jeff Maguire, Jac Flanders (film "Gridiron Gang")

Stars:

Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit, L. Scott Caldwell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dwayne Johnson	...	Sean Porter (as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson)
Xzibit	...	Malcolm Moore
L. Scott Caldwell	...	Bobbi Porter
Leon Rippy	...	Paul Higa
Kevin Dunn	...	Ted Dexter
Jade Yorker	...	Willie Weathers
David V. Thomas	...	Kelvin Owens (as David Thomas)
Setu Taase	...	Junior Palaita
Mo McRae	...	Leon Hayes (as Mo)
James Earl	...	Donald Madlock (as James Earl III)
Trever O'Brien	...	Kenny Bates
Brandon Mychal Smith	...	Bug Wendal
Jurnee Smollett-Bell	...	Danyelle Rollins (as Jurnee Smollett)
Michael J. Pagan	...	Roger Weathers
Jamal Mixon	...	Jamal Evans

Storyline

In the Kilpatrick juvenile detention center, the supervisor and former football player Sean Porter sees the lack of discipline, self-esteem, union and perspective in the teenage interns and proposes to prepare a football team to play in one league. He is supported by his superiors and his successful experience changes the lives of many young kids.

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Plot Keywords:

football | football team | football coach | football practice | alliterative title | 

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Taglines:

One goal. A second chance.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some startling scenes of violence, mature thematic material and language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Gangue está em Campo

Filming Locations:

Agoura High School - 28545 W. Driver Avenue, Agoura Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,414,630, 17 September 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$38,432,823, 22 October 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Industries, Original Film, Visual Arts Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During a practice scene, Dwayne Johnson can be seen paying tribute to his college career by wearing the number 94, the same number he wore during his time with the Miami Hurricanes.

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Goofs

After the second or third game, when the coach is challenging the players during a practice, there is tape on each players helmet with their name. Coaches only do this during the before the season starts, to learn names. Once the season starts, no coach wastes the time to relabel the helmets, as he would already know all of the names.

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Quotes

Roger Weathers: [Sean whacks Roger with a rolled up magazine] Mr. Porter?
Sean Porter: Getting beat in the middle of the night, how'd you like it Roger?
[Hits him again]
Sean Porter: You like that?
Roger Weathers: What are you hittin me for?
Sean Porter: What you hit Kelvin Owens for?
Roger Weathers: He dissed my hood!
Sean Porter: And now he's up there sleeping, and you're stuck in here! So, what does that make you?
[Hits him again]
Roger Weathers: Hey man, can you do that?
[...]

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Connections

Features Gridiron Gang (1992)

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Soundtracks

Celebration
Written by Robert Kool Bell (as Robert Bell), Ronald Bell, George Funky Brown (as George Brown),
Eumir Deodato, Robert Spike Mickens (as Robert Mickens), Claydes Smith,
, J.T. Taylor (as James Taylor), Dennis D.T. Thomas (as Dennis Thomas) and Earl Toon (as Earl Toon,
, Jr.)

User Reviews

When A Strong Man Shows Them The Way

Other than some bad language, I can't see why The Gridiron Gang rated a PG. It's a really nice inspirational story about a man with idea to slow down the rate of recidivism among juvenile offenders.

Based on the true story of Sean Porter, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson plays Porter a former college football star who thinks that if he can get some of the kids to organize as a football team in his ward of the Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Center it might keep them from going back to the gangs and returning to jail or winding up dead.

The Rock, trading in on the name and image that professional wrestling gave him, maybe for the first time is playing a normal human being albeit a former sports star. No superhero heroics for once in this film, just a man with an idea who inspires a bunch of kids to not think of themselves as losers.

Dwayne Johnson dominates the film just as he dominated the ring in his wrestling matches. He's got his own troubles as well, a mother who is dying well he's dealing with the problems of his juvenile charges. But he does persevere and he turns losers to winners.

It's a nice film about what can be accomplished when you believe in yourself.